Frames for handbags,pocketbooks and purses



United States Patent Berek Laufer [72] Inventor:

-' 390 Ocean Parkway, Brooklyn,

v New York [21] Application No.: 722,764 [22] Filed: April 19, 1968 [45] Patented: Aug. 4, 1970 [54] FRAMES FORHANDBAGS, POCKETBOOKS AND PURSES 3 Claims, 8 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl. 150/29, 150/42 [51] Int. Cl. A45c 13/06 [50] Field of Search 150/5,

29, 42; 292/U, 87; 24/lnquired Primary Examiner Donald F. Norton Attorney- M.D. Nissenbaum ABSTRACT: The frame comprises U-shaped parts hinged at their corresponding distal ends about a common axis line. The catch consists of a post on one frame part and a tab ex tending from an adjacent frame part to releasably engage the post. When the frame consists of three Uparts, the post is on the middle one to cooperate with tabs extending thereto from each of the others. The post may be a rod piece of round or square cross section as examples thereof. The tab is a parallelogram of rhomboid shape, or trapezoid in shape, as examples thereof. Each tab is positioned slanted towards the post and slanted along the general plane of the closed frame, and a corner or edge of each tab is adapted to be intercepted by the post while the frame parts are a bit apart. Then forcing the tab around the post, past the crest of an arc when the post is round, or past the vertex of an angle when the post is ofsquare cross section, brings the frame parts together and releasably locks them in such contact relation; the frame assembly having some resilient capability so it is temporarily distorted somewhat to allow the required movement and the reverse thereof to open the catch.

U.S. PATENT 3,522,828 FRAMES FOR HANDBAGS, POCKETBOOKS AND PURSES The present invention relates to frames for handbags, pocketbooks, purses and the like, of the type comprising a plurality of U-shaped parts hinged at their corresponding distal ends about a common axis line, and more particularly to the catches or detents which releasably hold adjacent U-parts in contact.

The principal object of this invention is to provide novel and improved catch means for the hingedly associated frame parts of the class mentioned,.offering simplicity of structure and economy in manufacture because they obviate the use of detents having ball terminals which require a comparatively high tool cost. Further the new constructions are highly efficient in carrying out the purposes for which such catches are designed.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as this disclosure proceeds.

For one practice of this invention, one part of the catch is a post mounted on one frame part. The cross section of said post includes an are which is bisected by the general plane of said frame part and post, or an angle bisected by said plane. Such post may be either a round or square rod as examples for same. The other part of the catch is a tab mounted on the other frame part, slanted towards such plane and along said plane; said tab presenting a corner or edge which is intercepted by the post while the frame parts are apart a bit. When the tab is forced to pass the crest of the said arc or the vertex of said angle, as the case may be, the assembled frame which has some resilient quality, is temporarily distorted somewhat to permit the frame parts to come together. Reverse movement to separate the frame parts is easily accomplished.

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

FIG. l is a fragmentary perspective view of an open frame embodying teachings of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view ofFIG. l.

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic representation of the relation of the catch components in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a front elevation of the frame showing the catches in releasably locked condition.

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic representation of the relation of the catch components in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary front elevation of a frame having catch means ofa modified construction.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary top plan view of a frame having catch means ofstill another modified construction.

In the drawing, the numeral designates generally a frame for handbags and the like. The particular one shown is a three part frame, the corresponding distal ends of its inverted U- shaped parts 16, 17 and 18, being hingedly associated by the respective rivets 19, 20, which serve as coaxial pivots, for they are in one straight line as is usual. In FIGS. 4 and 5, the frame is shown in closed condition with its frame parts 16 and 18, in contact with the central frame part 17, and the catches are in releasably locked conditiom the post 21 and the tab 22, constitutirig one of such catches, and said post and the other tab 23, constituting the other catch. It is evident that in the three part frame illustrated, one post will serve to cooperate with both tabs. In a two part frame, one of the outer U-frame parts and its associated tab, are of course, absent. Considering the frame 15 in closed condition as mentioned, the post 21 is a short piece of round rod, positioned upright on the frame part 17, with its axis in the general plane of said frame part. The tab 22. is a rhomboid piece extending from the frame part 16,

'respectto. the post; said post being between them', and they diverge downwardly therefrom. Considering the general plane of the frame as containing the axis of the post 21, in locked condition of the catches, the corner 22 of the tab 22 is in front of the post and presses against its periphery, keeping the frame parts 16 and 17 in contact. The corner 23' of the tab 23 is behind the post 21 and presses against its periphery, keeping the frame parts 18 and 17 together. Forcing the tabs through and past the general plane of the central U-part 1'7, will cause the tabs to be disengaged from the post respectively, and the structure will assume open condition as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. In such movement of each of the tabs, the frame assembly was'temporarily distorted to permit such movement because the corners 22' and 23' had to pass the crests A and B respectively, of the curvilinear periphery of the post 21. To close the frame, it is evident from FIG. 2, that the corners 22', 23 will be first intercepted by the post, then in forcing them around the post to assume closed position as shown in FIG. 5, each tab will again pass the crests mentioned, for which the frame structure will again be temporarily distorted to allow such movement to close the frame parts and catches. It is important that dimensions of the tabs should be such and their slanting positions shall be so chosen, that when arranged in closed condition, said tabs shall press against the post 21, so the U- frames 16,17 and 18 are held fast together, that is, the assembly shall have no looseness.

It is evident that the same conditions are attainable if the post is of square cross section as shown at 21, where the post is so placed that its diagonal plane is in the general plane of the frame part 17, as shown in FIG. 8.

The same results can be attained if the tabs are trapezoids of isosceles form as shown at 24 and 25, so their contact with the post on interception and closure, are their edges respectively.

The tabs may be cut from strip material by diagonal cuts or punched with a simple and cheap blanking die, and then tumbled to remove burrs and sharpness of edge. Suitable holding jigs for the parts at welding apparatus, well within the background of any engineer to design, will be necessary, but same are simple and inexpensive to make.

This invention is capable ofnumerous forms and various applications without departing from the essential features herein disclosed. It is therefore intended and desired that the embodiments herein shown shall be deemed merely illustrative and not restrictive.

I claim:

I. In a frame for a handbag, pocketbook, purse or the like, two contacting U-shaped frame parts whose corresponding distal ends are respectively hingedly connected in coaxial relation whereby they can be swung away and towards each other, a post extending outwardly from one of said frame parts; the axis of said post being substantially in the general plane of the frame; the transverse cross section of said post being polygonal, and a tab extending along and from the other frame part, slanted towards and along said plane and presenting an end region past said plane, engaging said post with pressure thereagainst whereby said post and tab constitute a releasable catch maintaining said frame parts in contact while said post and tab are in said engagement relation; that part of the peripheral surface of the post which is between the region thereof contacted by the tab and to one side of said plane, and the part of said peripheral surface which continues therefrom to the other side of said plane, being in divergent relation; said tab and post being manually separable whereupon said frame parts may be swung apart and then together again whereupon said tab will be intercepted by the post, and then upon forcing the tab around the post and past said plane, said tab will again engage the post and maintain said frame parts together.

2. In a frame for a handbag, pocketbook, purse or the like, two contacting Ushaped frame parts whose corresponding distal ends are respectively hingedly connected in coaxial relation whereby they can be swung away and towards each other, a post extending outwardly from one of said frame parts; the axis of said post being substantially in the general plane of the frame, and a tab extending along and fromthe other frame part, slanted towards and along said plane and presenting an end region past saidplane, engaging said post with pressure thereagainst whereby said post and tab constitite a releasable catch maintaining said frame parts in contact while said post and tab are in said engagement relation; that part of the peripheral surface of the post which is between the region thereof contacted by the tab and to one side of said plane, and the part of said peripheral surface which continues therefrom to the other side of said plane, being in divergent relation; said tab and'post being manually separable whereupon said frame parts may be swung apart and then together again whereupon said tab will be intercepted by the post, and then upon forcing the tab around the post and past said plane, said tab will again engage the post and maintain said frame parts together; said tabbeing a rhomboid-shape, a corner of which is in engagement with the post when the catch parts are in engagement.

3. in a frame for a handbag, pocketbook, purse or the like, two contacting U-shaped frame parts whose corresponding distal ends are respectively hingedly connected in coaxial relation whereby they can be swung away and towards each other,

a post extending outwardly from'one of said frame parts; the axis of said post being substantially in the general plane of the frame, and a tab extending alongand from the other frame part,'slanted towards and along said plane and presenting an end region past said plane, engaging said post with pressure thereagains t whereby said post and tab constitute a releasable catch maintaining said frame parts in contact while said post and tab are in said engagement relation; that part of the peripheral surface of the post which'isbetween the region there of contacted by the tab andto one side of said plane, and the part of said peripheral surface whichcontinues therefrom to the other side of said plane, being in divergent relation; said tab and post being manually separable whereupon said frame parts may be swung apart and then together again whereupon said tab, will be intercepted by the post; and-then upon forcing the tab around the post and past said plane, said tab will again I engage the post and maintain'said frame parts together; said tab being a trapezoid-shape, an edge of which is in engagement with the post when the catch parts are in engagement. 

